cyntrim

we are waiting for the freedomscope to come into production. Wireless Stethoscope Bluetooth - Freedomscope, Freedom Scope . It says that it should come into production mid 2014 but it said the same thing for 2013 and was changed.... big bummer

"Nursing school is hard. No really, it's hard. Don't get pregnant in nursing school. Books are expensive. Nursing school is hard. Don't fall behind. Here, have a cookie on your way out." Crazed - Were you in my orientation? Because that is exactly what they said except they gave us some pizza as well as the cookie.... lol

Last year I was 40 years old when I started my first year of nursing school with my 19 and 20 year old kids. It tickles me that this "Old brain" beats them pointswise on tests, but they are much braver than me in clinicals. They are not afraid of a procedure "hurting" a patient where I have enough experience in life that I worry about what the patient is going through emotionally and my kids mind process is that it has to be done and it is a way to help them. Age does have its advantages. I was surprised that a third of the class was as old as me if not older.

I think that nursing school is a state of mind. After my first year I realize I do not miss the mind numbing TV that I was watching nightly. I already lived a structured life so it was ok to have a schedule. I think there is a big hype about how difficult nursing school is and then when you get into it you ask yourself, "Is this what everyone was turning into a monster?" Because it is truly a life changing event but not for the bad and the reward at the end is worth all of the hard work and sacrifices you will make. You will have time for free time but you have to make decisions on what is really important that you want to do when you have that time. Nursing school is definately about priorities.

I drink lots of water to stay hydrated - On test days I take Focus Factor which seems to help me. I think that one of the most important things to remember during nursing school is to take care of yourself. Get enough sleep and no matter what else is going on find 20-30 minutes to exercise daily (even if it is taking a light walk). Dont train only your brain but find your body is in terrible shape when you graduate from school.

I was reading a heated discussion in another post and it made me start thinking. I have 10 months left until I get my RN (very excited). The topic was about what to do if there is a natural disaster in your area and you are required to come to work. Although I am not a nurse yet I am the one that even in bad weather goes to work if the doors are open and they are expecting me (might just be my Marine Corps job training). However knowing that I may be required to stay at work unexpectantly at a hospital there are a few things I think that I should start to keep in the trunk of my car now, "just in case." The first thing I thought about was a change of undies and a phone charger. Does anyone keep a just in case bag or what they are calling a bug out bag and what do you recommend keeping in it to make maybe staying at the hospital for 3 days or more - bearable?

I am starting 3rd Semester and am so anxious for it to get here, but nervous as well. This is the semester we will be learning psych. I think what if I just cant grasp that concept? Last semester was about maternity... I had the same fear then. I just keep telling myself I can do anything for 16 weeks at a time! Oh and I just started a job as unit clerk in the ICU.... Whew watching how hard the nurses work makes me worry... What if I get all the way through nursing school and then cant do it? I think the thing is fear and nerves are a part of life. but are you going to let them stop you? I hope not because when you conquer that fear - My goodness that feels great!

Hi pinayluv - I am currently in 3rd semester with my son who is going to school in Texas on a Deaf waver (which means that any Texas school waves his tuition) lucky him!!!! He has met with no issues from teachers or other nurses in clinicals. starting this semester the school is going to provide CART to him. CART will be amazing for him. In laymans terms it is kind of like closed captioning for the class. He will sign into a website where a transcriptionist is typing out the lecture as the teacher is speaking. I dont think they can take your spot away from you due to a disability. Something tells me this would be against ADA. Just make sure that you buy yourself a really excellent stethoscope.

I think I am fortunate then. My school records lectures for us and then posts them on itunes so that you can go back in specific lecture files and listen. It really helps when you have that one fast speaking teacher and you have just enought time to listen but not keep accurate notes. I listen to the lectures in the car or at work when I have the time (everyone thinks I am listening to music, but no it is lectures). When I feel I didnt fully understand something at school I will pull out powerpoints and relisten to those areas that I feel weak in.

Thank you for your service! I think your question is admirable and I wished that I would have thought to ask a question like that before I went into Marine Corps boot camp. As a previous poster said we could not have any hair in our eyes or touching our collar and absolutely no bobby pins could be seen so it was difficult. My mother cried when I went in with hair longer than my shoulder blades and came home with a drill instructor cut. Meaning it was about 1 inch all over my head, because I found it too hard to keep up with. Whatever you decide to do about the length of your hair start practicing now and go outside and run with and see what happens to it to see if it will be manageable once you have so much pressure on you to perform. We had females that worried about their hair so much that they would secretly get up in the middle of the night to put it back up, because they did not want to get their hair cut. Hey we are women and even though it will grow back does not mean we want to have to cut it....

My first career choice was proudly as a Marine. I have watched my brothers and sisters go to countries and see atrocities that would make people much older shudder and have nightmares. Heck, many of them do come home and have nightmares. So, I can tell you that a Marines most favorite person in the whole world when they are injured or ill is a Navy Corpsman. These brave corpsman are women and men who also have children and families waiting for them at home in the states, but they go where bullets fly over their heads to save a Marines. Corpsmen fight to save our lives and nurse us in terrible conditions right now where their lives are in grave danger, but they made a choice to be brave and do what they feel is honorable. I hear everyone saying that it is easy to be brave anonymously, however I am going to believe that when a person says this is what they will do they have already convinced themselves this is what is right and they will do it! The Marine Corps taught me that you can take many things away from me, but my integrity belongs to me and you can't steal that. I signed up to work a job to help others and that is where I would be.

I see these posts and I feel frustration. For me the decision is logistics. I live 10 miles away from community college or 2 hours away from a university to get a bacchelors. With the price of gas being $3.30 or greater - being an unemployeed, 40 year old mother and wife with responsibilities would never work! So YAY me I am getting an ADN and loving it! The great news is my CC is partnered up with a large university in the metroplex that is 100% online and I can get my BSN in only 18 additional months and if I am working at a hospital then hopefully they will help me with part of that cost. It is a win-win situation for me. I say weigh your situation and do what is best for you. I like the idea that I can be a working nurse in a shorter time and still complete my education in about the same time it will take to get a BSN.

1) Thank you for letting me use your penlight when my battery died on me this week. (lOl) 2) Using the terminology that we just learned in yesterdays lecture to ask "smart" questions in this lecture does not necessarily make you look smarter. 3) Thank you for helping me when I go through a mini melt down. I will be there for you if you need it. 4) Yes those 2 other people in my nursing class with my same last name are my 2 children and it does have its advantages when it comes to study time with them, but when we are waiting for test results to come back it equals some crazy stress/worry for 3 people and not just 1. 5) It would be so helpful if you let me breath before you ask me "how we did on a test?" When we know that you are only trying to make yourself look better than us because you always post on facebook that you made an A on your last test. Yes an A would be great, but for this family of 3 sometimes a C means we will have a celebration that night! 6) Thank you for becoming my extended family so quickly and my door and study table is always open to you when you need me.

Oh how we love our Navy Corpsmen though! They are there with us through thick and thin.

I never knew that 5 weeks could last so long! I start 2nd semester this coming up Tuesday and I am just ready to dig in. I have read so many horror stories about nursing school and the instructors, but I have to say that I feel very blessed and well encouraged at my school to learn and if you dont understand to get into a teachers office and talk it thoughh with them. So to all of us returning back to school this semester I just want to say Good Luck and lets get ready to make a difference.:heartbeat